Posts Tagged ‘straddled each boy with his hands over the child’s face and mouth’

I believe that any parent that tortures their children, yet manages to escape a jail sentence can consider themselves very fortunate:

A father has admitted waterboarding four children – including his two sons – after claiming it was a learning experience for them.

William Province, 42, pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child and was given two years’ probation.

Province from Jefferson County, Montana, carried out the torture, which simulates drowning, on his nine and 12-year-old sons and two other children aged 13 and 15, according to court documents filed by prosecutors.

His girlfriend at the time said he broke her wrist and some fingers on December 5 when she tried to stop him from punishing the children, court records said.

She said Province straddled each boy with his hands over the child’s face and mouth and dumped water on their faces to simulate drowning.

The woman told investigators that the man described it as a learning experience for the boys.

Waterboarding is an extreme form of torture which can result in oxygen deprivation to the brain and lungs.

Prosecutors dropped felony charges that included making threats against public officials and others.

In keeping with the plea agreement, District Judge James B. Wheelis sentenced the man to 180 days in jail for each charge, all suspended.

That amounts to two years of probation, minus the 80 days he has already spent in custody, the Independent Record reported.

Prosecutors said in court records that a witness had reported that the man had body armor, assault rifles and armor-piercing ammunition.